Suno / Spring 2013 RTW

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If Suno’s spring show is a sign of anything, the revealed midriff is sticking around for another season. Seeing the way Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty have done it—with cropped top/skirt combos and one beautifully tailored cutout tank dress—that’s just fine. For one, it can be a very flattering look on a woman, and for another, the two 2011/2012 Fashion Fund finalists don’t claim to be trying to introduce anything completely groundbreaking at the moment. Yes, the offering has a look that’s unmistakably theirs, honed over the past few seasons. But, as Beatty puts it, “there’s nothing like a collection you just want to put on. Ultimately, that’s the biggest achievement.”

Achieve it they did, with pieces inspired by Irving Penn’s images of Issey Miyake’s creations (Suno’s graphic tunics over matching wide-leg trousers). Osterweis and Beatty were equally fascinated, they say, with Laura Ingalls Wilder and the prairie. So there were also calico-esque prints and the occasional ruffle to create volume that feels fresh—done best on a washed denim skirt. A touch of the folkloric, somewhat of a signature for the label, was present in blue-and-white embroidery inspired by Polish handiwork. Stripes, ever present in recent collections, played a major role in the mixing and matching. And, lest we forget that Suno began as a line made out of vintage Kenyan textiles, there was a dress in a quirky cell phone print re-created and revived for this season. Aside from that, Osterweis and Beatty were definitely not just phoning it in.